It’s coming like a role of thunder, a clash of titans will occur on the 16th of November Australian time, well at least it should.

Couture V Lesnar is going to be the most watched UFC fight of all time and Main Event, the pay per view provider in Australia, has made the decision NOT to show the fight live on Sunday Australian time. Instead, Main Event in their infinite wisdom has elected to show replays of an Andre Rieu concert!!

Are you freaking kidding me!!!!?????

Sure the Andre Rieu concert will probably be in interesting little event but seriously; it is on live the night before!! Surely replays of the concert can be shown on another day during the week for goodness sake?

I just can’t understand why a live sporting event would be bumped for some faggoty show pony Dutch violin player.

This gets me to the bit where you can help me (apart from visiting some of our sponsors). If you are interested in watching this fight can you please visit the Main Event contact website here and let them know that you want to see this fight LIVE. Or if you live in Sydney I urge you to go to the following address (Main Event, 5 Thomas Holt Drive, North Ryde, NSW, 2113), put the receptionist in a Rear Naked Choke and don’t let go until the Main Event programmer gives in to our demands!!

Help me.

I am terribly disappointed with the news that last years winner Efficient has been scratch from the big race due to injury. Efficient’s owner Lloyd Williams is pretty careful with his horses so hopefully the injury isn’t to bad and he will be right to go in the autumn.

This leaves me in an awkward situation…. I now have no freaking idea who the hell is going to win the Melbourne Cup. Do you?

The following is the list of odds as it stands at the moment.

SEPTIMUS $4.50
MAD RUSH $5.50
ALL THE GOOD $11.00
NOM DU JEU $11.00
PROFOUND BEAUTY $13.00
CEST LA GUERRE $16.00
ZIPPING $16.00
BAUER $18.00
LITTORIO $18.00
HONOLULU $21.00
VIEWED $21.00
GALLOPIN $26.00
MASTER OREILLY $26.00
BARBARICUS $35.00
RED RULER $35.00
ALESSANDRO VOLTA $51.00
ICE CHARIOT $51.00
ZAGREB $51.00
BOUNDLESS $61.00
VAREVEES $61.00
YELLOWSTONE $61.00
ZARITA $61.00
MOATIZE $81.00
NEWPORT $81.00
PRIZE LADY $81.00
BAUGHURST $126.00
GUYNO $126.00
LARGO LAD $126.00
RED LORD $126.00
RIVA SAN $126.00
BOOK OF KELLS $301.00
CAPECOVER $301.00
CHIEFCOMINGFIRST $301.00
DANDAAD $301.00
GET UP JUDE $301.00
GLISTENING $301.00
MAGIC INSTINCT $301.00
SADDLERS STORY $301.00

After All The Goods run in the Caulfield Cup you would have to consider him a good chance. Nom Du Jeu finished off the race well as well did Mad Rush.

I have no idea about the likes of the current favourite Septimus other than he seems to have the ability but we have seen other chances from the UK fail before.

Littorio had been going well and may be worth considering also. Ice Chariot (forgetting the last run) has been finishing off well and will be getting some of my money.

One horse I am ruling out is Zipping. Great horse over 2000 to 2400 but it has never done anything over longer and I can’t see this changing. Zipping can’t win (I recommend getting on it after my declaration however!)

Talk to me, what are your thoughts as the big day fast approaches?

Apparently if you have money invested in the accounts of companies like Colonial First State of Challenger Financial (and numerous other finance companies) they can just freeze your investment and give you no recourse to get your money. I am not even aware of any time limit that has been put on this.

Obviously these companies can do this or they wouldn’t be doing it, or can they?

I am lucky, at this stage my money is either in a ‘guaranteed bank’ or I own a share in some of these companies that are freezing these funds. As an owner of several of these finance companies I am happy that there is not a mass panic to withdraw money from these funds but as a human being I can understand the anguish of anyone who currently is refused access to their money.

I would be interested if a person were to visit one of the institutions in which they have money invested, demanded their money, and were refused, what would occur if said person produced a pistol and demanded his money? I am quite sure they would be subdued with the mighty tazer. But realistically, he couldn’t be charged with attempted robbery surely? I would be interested as to how this stands up in court. Maybe this is where the fault of not actually reading the fine print in all those financial documents signed comes home to roost. Welcome to frozen funds, population the customer.

I wasn’t all that concerned about my deposited money in the first place, I was slightly comforted by the government guarantee but am far more concerned with the results we are seeing from this action. Not to side with one political party over another, because both originally supported the policy but maybe the government guarantee of bank deposits in this country is one of ‘most well meaning’, but, biggest stuff ups in recent memory.

Thoughts?

I proved to be the greatest punter walking the planet Saturday when Maldivian pinched a beautiful lead round the corner at Moonee Valley and held out Zipping and Samantha Miss to take out the 2008 Cox Plate.

Mark Cavanaugh’s reaction seemed a bit over the top and stupid looking. I remember remarking that he looked like a retard. Then I put myself in his shoes and remembered the trouble he had with Maldivian last year in the Caulfield Cup and the late scratching so I could see why he was so excited. Plus he had just won the Cox Plate!!

To make things even sweeter for me I had put an all up bet on Whobegotyou in an earlier race into Maldivian in the Cox at the fixed odds of &16.80, I am the king.

In other odds news interestingly John McCain has dropped from the odds of $8 earlier in the week to a slightly less attractive $5.25 as of Sunday evening. I am not sure why this has happened but maybe some of the Gun Shops are reporting sharp increases in hunting rifle sales?

UFC 90 didn’t really pan out as I hoped with the tipped victory of Silva over Cote proving correct but in a manner in which I didn’t predict. Instead of ending up in a coma, Cote slipped on a banana peel in the middle of the ring and blew his knee out. Silva wins by TKO (injury).

The third test in India starts Wednesday and I am excited to see for the first time in about 5 years Australian are not favourite to win. This is a landmark moment in recent betting history and I think the Aussies will be worth a crack for underdog reasons. The other main reason is that Matthew Hayden has failed to this point and is absolutely due to destroy the Indians. $3.50 is the best you have been able to get for a long time and I suggest you take it.

We are here at the best race on the Australian racing calendar (in my opinion) and I am interested in your thoughts on the big race tomorrow.

I will start of with a woulda shoulda coulda moment with a suggestion the Ross McDonald should have had Weekend Hussler ready for his grand final tomorrow. I am surprised he didn’t change tact and head for the plate instead of the Caulfield Cup. I think he would have been hard to beat tomorrow

Back to reality….

I have a sneaky suspicion that this years Cox Plate will go to a horse called Maldivian. He fought on pretty well last week over the 2400 and I think he is due for a win after an inauspicious spring so far.

I am not sure about Samantha Miss, she has history against her and while she has dominated all and sundry to this point I think this step may be too big.

Master O’Reilly had a good run last start and was coming home pretty well.

Princess Coup has been having a great crack at it across the ditch but air travel seems to affect a lot of horses, if ‘the Cooo’ can get over the travel it’s a big chance.

In the Aami Vass I recommend that the MVRC just give first place trophy and prize money to the owners of Whobegotyou. Save the other runners the cost of floating their horses to the track.

Niconero is due in the Jayco Crystal Mile. Juicy odds will be the go.

What have you got? Give me your specials.

I have had a few days off this week, which I have found most enjoyable. Well except for tonight and the dread of tomorrow, but that is unavoidable.

Anyway I found myself caught up watching a bit of Fox News / CNN and the like, mainly stories about the US Election. For some reason I always find US Elections very entertaining. I am not totally sure why an election in a foreign country interests me, it may be all the comedians going to town on the candidates, it may be the negative ads and the constant struggle over who is running the more negative campaigns or it could be the never ending tactics and money these people will utilise to further their cause, I just find it interesting.

An interesting little fact that will keep my interest in the election further is that at the same point in the campaign in the Ronald Regan V Jimmy Carter election of 1980 Ronald Regan was in an even worse position than John McCain currently is. I am not sure Mr McCain is going to be able to conjure up the release of American hostages as Old Ron was able to but I am not sure if the election is over yet.

Maybe the $8.00 odds being offered about McCain at the moment isn’t such bad darts.

In other news, during my few days of leave I purchased a copy of Grand Prix Championship Edition for the PS3. If anyone out there knows how to do two laps in a row on this bastard without spinning off into the fence please let me know. I have also found after a few drinks I am less capable of staying of ‘stringing successful laps together’! Who would of thought?

This weekend sees the accepted best pound for pound fighter on the planet, Andreson Silva, take on a reasonable fighter from Canada in Patrick Cote. The name of the event is actually called Silva V Cote but I have renamed it as Total Annihilation as I believe this name to be more apt.

A check of markets shows that Silva is a slight favourite at $1.12 with Cote offering the juicy odds of $6.00. Not bad for a two horse race? Well that may be the case if they were both horses but unfortunately one of them may in fact be an ass.

The beautiful thing about mixed martial arts is that anyone can pretty much beat anyone on any given day. Only 18 months ago the then best pound for pound fighter on the planet, George St.-Pierre, was knocked out by a $7.00 underdog in the form of Matt Serra. I am still not sure I would risk my money on this long shot but if I do have a liking for one fighter over another I would never let odds dictate my decision in this sport. The fact that the fight can be stopped in so many different ways is what draws me to this sport.

Any way, my prediction for the main event is Silva by total annihilation.

If you find you are at a lose end this Sunday and am looking to watch someone get put in a coma via blunt fist trauma give me a call and I will tee up a bean bag for you.